Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Sir Zelman Cowen

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Sir Zelman Cowen

Zelman Cowen by Peter Ellis/Wikimedia Commons

Sir Zelman Cowen, was an Australian legal scholar and university administrator who served as the 19th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1977 to 1982.

He is a public figure dedicated to higher education and the welfare of the nation; Sir Zelman’s life epitomizes the spirit of Victoria University

His was a life of opportunity and success, at the age of 31 he was appointed dean of the law faculty at Melbourne University.

Melbourne Law School alumnus Professor Zelman Cowen was a brilliant Melbourne student, a World War II veteran, and an esteemed public leader and intellectual.

1. The astonishing Sir Zelman School of music strives to inspire musicians 

The Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance strives to inspire musicians towards excellence that knows no boundaries.

It’s an ambitious school that recognizes the value of music in the world, in both its heritage and future forms.

The teaching and research seek to expand the value of music and its evolution in the communities.

The school celebrates the rich diversity of music-making in Australia and its association with the rest of the world.

The school encourages cross-fertilization across different music disciplines through our chamber music and small ensemble programs.

2. The famous Sir Zelman served four and a half years as a general governor 

Zelman Cowen Signature GG by Peter Ellis/Wikimedia Commons

He served four and a half years as Governor-General, Cowen being Jewish gave his appointment a multicultural aspect in keeping with contemporary Australian sentiment.

One of Australia’s most distinguished constitutional lawyers and academics, Sir Zelman was appointed to the vice-regal post by Malcolm Fraser in 1977.

Zelman took over the position at a more difficult time than any other governor-general and served in the role with great distinction.

Sir Zelman also made enormous contributions to academia and universities. He was a distinguished Australian with an international reputation,

His knowledge of the Constitution and the law was beyond dispute, and his political views were unknown.

3. The amazing Zelman Cowen scholarship aimed at encouraging locals to apply

Scotch College, Melbourne. Sir Zelman Cowen Centre for Science by Melbaniantoo/Wikimedia Commons

The Zelman Cowen Scholarship, named after one of the law school’s longest-serving Deans and former Governor General, is offered to applicants around Australia with a strong academic background.

Aimed at encouraging applicants from around Australia, the Zelman Cowen Scholarship provides several selected students with financial support during their JD.

The scholarship is open to local students who have been offered a place in the Melbourne JD. Selection is based on academic merit and demonstrated financial need.

4. The unbelievable Adult Learning Australia is an adult education environment

The Australian Association of Adult Education (AAAE) was founded at a meeting in Hobart, Tasmania, in 1960.

In 1989, AAAE amalgamated with the Australian Association of Community Education to form the Australian Association of Adult and Community Education (AAACE).

The name Adult Learning Australia (ALA) was adopted in 1998 to reflect a changing adult education environment.

It confirmed the association’s view that the learner is the central focus of our attention, and that learning occurs through informal and non-formal means.

Adult Learning Australia has a broad and ambitious policy agenda that impacts many individuals, organizations, and communities.

5. Sir Zelman astonishingly has written on laws and engaged in the republican debate

He has written on international law, the law of evidence, the freedom of the press, and the rights of the individual, and most recently has been engaged in the republican debate.

He was much in demand as a speaker, among his more recent speeches are the Boyer lectures, the first Sir Robert Menzies Lecture in Britain in 1988.

He has spoken for the Jewish Historical Society and in memory of outstanding members of the Jewish community, of which he has been a loyal and active member all his life.

He has written a biography of the first Jewish governor-general, Sir Isaac Isaacs. Sir Zelman has said that he took to Melbourne University.

Sir Zelman describes himself as not particularly religious, his essential commitment to justice as the goal and guide of human activities is profoundly Jewish.

6. The remarkable Sir Zelman Cowen served as the Vice Chancellor 

At the age of 31, he was appointed dean of the law faculty at Melbourne University. He later served as vice-chancellor at the University of New England and many more

Cowen enriched the university’s international reputation through a series of teaching engagements in the US and through helping to establish law schools in Hong Kong.

His decisive yet reasoned management of campus unrest, especially during protests over the Vietnam war.

The war was a significant factor in the invitation to become governor-general in 1977, a year after he was knighted.

7. The exquisite Sir Zelman finished high school top of his class through his hard work

Zelman Cowen finished high school as one of the top students in the state, he realized it was possible to get to the top if he worked hard.

He attended Scotch College and the University of Melbourne before serving in the navy in the Second World War.

After the war, he went to Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, he was dean of the law faculty at the University of Melbourne.

During this period, he worked often in American universities, advised the British government on constitutional issues, and wrote the biography of Sir Isaac Isaacs.

8. The astonishing Sir Cowen Was a Provost of oriel college 

Oriel College First Quad by Alf/Wikimedia Commons

Sir Zelman was Provost of Oriel College, Oxford, and Chairman of the British Press Council where he served with great distinction.

He also pursued a range of other interests, including serving for five years on the board of Fairfax newspapers during a turbulent period for the company.

Sir Zelman’s son, Rabbi Dr. Shimon Cowen, was Director of the Institute for Judaism and Civilization in Melbourne.

Sir Zelman’s first honor was a Knight Bachelor in 1976, when he was appointed Governor-General, he was made a Knight Grand Cross.

9. The amazing Sir Zelman Cowen married Anna Wittner and was blessed with four children

Cowen married Anna Wittner and had four children, Shimon, Yosef, Kate, and Ben. His son, Rabbi Shimon Cowen, is the Director of the Institute for Judaism and Civilization in Melbourne.

Born in Melbourne in 1919 to a Jewish family, Sir Zelman graduated in arts and law from Melbourne University.

He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, which he took up in 1945 after serving in the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve.

10. the Famous Sir Cowen suffered from Parkinson’s disease for 15 years 

Zelman Cowen by Peter Ellis/Wikimedia Commons

Cowen suffered from Parkinson’s disease for at least the last 15 years of his life. He died on 8 December 2011, at the age of 92, at his home in Toorak, Victoria

It was the 34th anniversary of his swearing-in as Governor-General in 1977, he is best remembered for restoring a measure of dignity to the latter role.